Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The opening reception on the evening of October 21st was a real scene. The gallery was packed, the noise level was high and there was a lot of excitement in the air. People kept streaming in, well after the 8pm closing time. I learned that in Chelsea where so many galleries are now located, Thursday evenings are when many people come out to do the "Chelsea Walk", going from gallery to gallery to gallery to gallery...

We have gotten some nice publicity on the show thus far. A write-up on the exhibit is featured in the November issue of American Art Collector Magazine, pps. 206-207.

Town & Village, a weekly newspaper serving the Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Waterside, Gramercy Park, Union Square, East Midtown Plaza and the Kips Bay areas of Manhattan ran a cover story, "3 artists see new sides to the city". Off to a good start and it's been nice to talk with people about the work on view.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

3 images from the exhibit. From left to right: Florin's "Flatiron-Bird's Eye View", Trueblood's "City Towers" and Pyzow's "Scheffel Night". Just an example of 3 of the 42 paintings and prints on view in this collaborative exhibit.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Stopped by the gallery today to check out the show and it looks wonderful, better than I could have hoped for. The paintings and prints are grouped in such a way as to complement the work of three artists and makes for a fascinating "tour" through the Gramercy Park and Flatiron neighborhoods. Here's the press release. Hope to see some of you at the reception on Thursday, October 21st. Now to decide what to wear...

TRIPLE PLAY: FLATIRON/GRAMERCY FROM 3 ANGLES

SHARON FLORINSUSAN PYZOWEMILY TRUEBLOOD

October 19th – November 24th, 2010Reception: October 21st, 6-8pSpecial Event: November 6th @ 2p: an in gallery walking tour of the exhibition by NYC tour guide Alfred Pommer

Franklin 54 Gallery is pleased to present a collaborative exhibition project by 3 New York City artists: Sharon Florin, Susan Pyzow and Emily Trueblood of paintings and prints that depict two New York City landmark areas- the Gramercy and Flatiron districts.

Sharon Florin has been painting and capturing NYC architecture for many years and they are expertly executed with a realist’s eye yet full of personality. They are detailed, rich and inviting – she captures the heart and feeling of each piece of architecture bringing the intimacy of it to life. Sharon’s respect and love for the architecture and NYC come alive in her paintings so we as the viewer can step in and enjoy so many aspects of the city.

Susan Pyzow’s paintings are strong and a bit eerie though quiet and still - components that make them intriguing along with her use of lush color and heightened contrasts. She draws us as viewers into the “light in the window” that is a beacon. The pieces are real but painterly and we are welcomed into her suspense hoping she will let us inside and reveal the secret. Susan will also have prints in the exhibition along side her paintings.

Emily Trueblood’s linoleum cut prints are clean, sharp and architectural. The imagery in these pieces whether shadow, shapes or angles are simple and striking. Her limited palette accentuates these handsome pieces and repeated use of the window variations keeps the eye moving in and out, up and down. Masterfully composed, they invite us to a fresh interpretation of these NYC buildings.

Each artist has her own technique and vision yet together they portray the richness of these neighborhoods. All three are award winning artists with works in numerous private, corporate and museum collections. Printmakers Susan Pyzow and Emily Trueblood also exhibit with The Old Print Shop in Manhattan. Sharon Florin has exhibited with Franklin 54 since it began in 2004.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The countdown beginsCover for catalogue for "Triple Play: Flatiron/Gramercy from 3 Angles"

The cover of our catalogue features my painting of the Flatiron, a painting by Susan Pyzow of Scheffel Hall at night and a linocut of Emily Trueblood's wonderful water towers. I think we chose these images because they are our personal favorites.

After a lot of painting, printmaking and planning our exhibit will open next Tuesday, October 19th with an opening reception on the 21st. Speaking for myself, Susan and Emily, I can say that we are all excited to have our work on view at long last at the Franklin 54 Gallery. During the past year we met several times at my studio to work on a catalogue for the exhibit. With the wonders of technology - a Mac, iPhoto and 3 talented artists, the end result is something we are pleased with and the art really stands out on the pages. Catalogues will be for sale at the gallery.

Last week we three distributed our brochures to places in the neighborhoods whose subjects appear in our works. Everyone we met was extremely enthusiastic when learning about this collaborative effort. Doing the legwork is part of the business of show and we are doing our best.

Packing up my paintings and delivering them to the gallery later today. The die is cast, let the show begin!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Thought I'd share this painting with you today that will not make it into the upcoming "Triple Play: Flatiron/Gramercy from 3 Angles" exhibit. There is just not enough room in the gallery for all of the work we'd hoped to exhibit. My original thought was to create a series of small paintings on panels of these two neighborhoods. Might still go forward with this idea as I have plenty of ideas for paintings. As it is, only 2 of the small 6x6 inch paintings will be on view.

There is a fascinating multi-colored brick building on the northwest corner of 19th Street and Irving Place that I pass by regularly and I'm always enchanted by the many gargoyle-like stone figures adorning the facade of this apartment house. This painting features two small bearded and robed gents, standing with noses in the air, embedded into the brickwork. Just why they adorn this building I don't know, but they are certainly whimsical.

Two weeks until showtime and I'm excited that this project will finally be installed and on view. Our catalogues look great and we've been doing our utmost to get the word out about the exhibit. If you're in the neighborhood, hope you can stop by! Opening reception is on Thursday, October 21, 6-8pm at the Franklin 54 + Projects Gallery, 526 West 26th Street, Rm. 403, Chelsea, NY. To read about the backstory of this project and to see some of the artwork featured in the exhibit just click here.

About Me

A born and raised New Yorker, I have been painting the urban landscape for the past 40+ years, with a real fascination and affection for the architecture of this great city. My work captures "what is here today that might be gone tomorrow". I created this blog to share info about my paintings and it is a "work in progress" evolving over time.
I will also be adding links to other artist blogs and those that focus on New York.
If you have any questions about the paintings, please contact me at SJFStudio@aol.com. You can see more samples of my work at my website www.sharonflorinart.com.
Thanks for visiting!